ABSTRACT
This study analyses the changes which have taken place in Italian political parties and the alliances they have formulated in the 1990s, changes which are visible at three levels: the disappearance of old parties and their replacement with new organisations; organisational innovation in many of the new parties, and a new pattern of alliances – which is increasingly shaped by bipolarity. The changes are analysed in three periods, each of which culminates in a landmark national election: 1987–92, 1992–94 and 1994–96. The conclusion assesses the significance and likely permanence of the new constellation of parties and alliances.
